Traumatic & Dramatic

Last Summer, after losing her first tooth.

Tessa is a very, very high spirited child. When she is happy, the whole world is wonderful; when she's sad, it's "the worst day of her life." There is no in-between with her. It makes our job as her parents challenging sometimes. She's not a spoiled child--at least, no more so than the average "only" child--but she is very "set in her ways." If she decides not to cooperate with something, it will be easier to move heaven and earth than to get her to go along with what you're doing or wanting her to do.

She's at the age where she KNOWS how much it sucks to be little. She knows her freedoms are few and that most of her life at this point is comprised of following directions--of her parents, her grandparents, her teachers--and her choices are few, generally comprised of "A or B" instead of figuring out for herself what her options can be. She realizes she has limitations, and it just really ticks her off.

This last week has been especially challenging. She had a run-in last weekend with an overzealous puppy, and that left her with a scratched up face. Then she had a tooth that she didn't want us to take out--when she finally let us, it slid out no problem, but it was very difficult getting her to let us. Now the tooth next to it wants to come out but is still very much attached on one side. We can see the big tooth wanting to come in, but that one side just doesn't want to let go.

Instead of letting us try one more time to take it out, she threw a HUGE hissy fit. We just couldn't get her to calm down. After nearly an hour, I finally got her calmed enough to see how unreasonable she was being, and she apologized to both of us for acting that way and finally let her dad check out her tooth. We let her know that we loved her and that we weren't angry, just hurt at the way she'd acted, and that we forgive her anyway. The tooth still won't come out, so if it doesn't come tomorrow J will be taking her into the dentist for professional help. She's lost computer priviledges for two days for her behaviour.

The sweetest thing was when she was sent up to bed. She was glad to go--she'd worn herself out with stress and crying and all manner of dramatics. From her room, we heard her tearfully saying something but couldn't work out what it was--whether she was talking to herself or ranting or what, it was in a completely ranting tone of voice. Finally I understood one clear word: "Amen." She was just pouring her little heart out to God, and I am so glad that she knows that she can do that without fear or judgement and that it is a comfort to her. I'm sorry that we had to go through such a traumatic evening--but I hope that the take away, of putting our troubles in His hands, is what she gets out of it.